
July 13, 2016

Little duets, today Port Charlotte

Many PCs to taste, as many ‘private casks’ that have been bought from Bruichladdich in the early to mid 2000s are now coming out, but since this is our lighter summer programme, we’ll have only two. And make that two officials please!

Port Charlotte 10 yo 2005 (55.1%, OB for Islay House, Feis Ile 2016, 300 bottles)

This one was matured in ‘premium French oak’, which suggests a wine cask, possibly refill. Hopefully refill. Colour: gold. Nose: French oak indeed. It’s quite big, spicy, gingery, and kind of medicinal. Mercurochrome and gingerbread, with a ‘green’ smokiness. Some camphor, some eucalyptus, some newly sawn oak and even pinewood. The jury’s still out. With water: nicer, with more citrus. Grapefruit skin, patchouli, grass, good mud, hay. Mouth (neat): really, the oak feels. It reminds me of many a craft whisky, especially American ones, except that those are super-young and do have to rely on good oak. Don’t get me wrong, this is very good, but I’m finding the oak a little too obvious. Not unlike some of Mackmyra’s earliest bottlings, for example (while Mackmyra got much better in my book). With water: once again it improves mucho, becoming more citric and ‘nervous’, and losing a part of the oakiness. Finish: long, green, oaky, bitterish, gingery. Not too fond of this finish. Comments: mixed feelings here. Great spirit in some oak that was a little too active, in my humble opinion. SGP:467 - 83 points.

Port Charlotte 7 yo 2008/2016 (61%, OB, Valinch, Feis Ile 2016, cask #3821, 410 bottles)

Made out of Islay-grown Chalice barley from Starchmill Farm, which lies near Bridgend. Aaah, terroir! Ahem, well, not sure the Rivesaltes cask that’s been used to mature this baby is very terroir, having said that… I mean, Islay terroir… Colour: straw. Nose: no Rivesaltes that I can get. That is to say almost no raisins, no rancio, no walnuts, just plain almost unadulterated peated barley, with just, granted, a wee mossy/earthy side that may come from the cask. Around boletus and other lovely wild mushrooms that, to my knowledge, do not grow on Islay. With water: Islay mud and grass, farmyard, porridge, and seaweed smoke (on a beach, on Islay, etc etc etc.) Very little wine, great. Mouth (neat): it seems that the wine cask feels a little more, this time with an orange-y side and a feeling of baklavas and other oriental pastries. Makrouts? But the big peaty spirit stands that, easily. With water: feels a bit like second fill sherry, in my humble opinion. Rubbery raisins, smoked nuts… Finish: long, a little gingery. Bitter oranges. Comments: hybrid malt whisky of very high quality – but not the highest. Rivesaltes, why? SGP:557 - 84 points.

Okay, I had planned to do a duet, but I feel we desperately need an all-natural PC. Let me see what I can find, stay tuned… (rummage rummage rummage…)

Port Charlotte ‘PC12 Oileanach Furachail’ (58.7%, OB, 2015)

Oh well, what a name, sounds like a dresser from Ikea’s, doesn’t it. Or some guy from Game of Thrones. Colour: gold. Nose: oh! Sulphury, limestone-y, this ain’t easy. A gun that was just shot, used matches, new leather, cabbage stew… Not quite eggy, but we’re close. Hope water will help. With water: same, I’m afraid. New plastic, fumes… Mouth (neat): yes and no. Yes for the zesty and straight distillate, no for the sulphury, almost truffle-like coating. Really bizarre… With water: no changes. Finish: quite long, quite rubbery. A nicer aftertaste, with some smoky lemons. Comments: some un-rinsed sulphured wine casks must have been in use, I’m almost sure. I’ve had so many PCs that have been much more to my liking! Well, all of them… SGP:467 - 72 points. - UPDATE: it seems that there's been several bottlings and that whilst most were rather perfect, one of them had that sulphur indeed. Not too sure how to identify that one but I'll keep you posted. Thank you John.

Not much luck today, but we never back off at WF Towers! Let’s just play it safer…

Port Charlotte 2001/2013 (59.2%, Malts of Scotland, sherry hogshead, cask #MoS 13052, 292 bottles)

From PC’s first year of distillation. Hope the sherry won’t be too loud. Colour: pale gold. Nose: aaah, some purer, cleaner, zestier, more complex Port Charlotte! Coal smoke, charcoal, sea air, seaweed, chalk, flints, kelp, langoustines… Okay, perhaps not quite langoustines, but you got it, this is pristinely coastal. Aaah… With water: bandages, mud, muesli, porridge, grass smoke… All that is perfect. Mouth (neat): so very good! The sherry’s kept at bay, and there’s a very peppery yet lightish smoke that makes the whole experience just great. Grapefruit, drinking clay, lime, green pepper, ashes… Just perfect. With water: excellent limy smokiness. We’ll leave it at that. Finish: same. Fresh, smoky, lemony, coastal, ashy. Almost no sherry in sight. Comments: I feel that quite often and with many distilleries, the owners should thank the independents for their purer, and in a way more authentic bottlings that do enhance the images of their distilleries. I know that sounds strange and even contradictory – and yes the indies are using their quasi-brands for free - but this session was just another example. SGP:458 - 90 points.

Phew!

Check the index of all Port Charlotte I've tasted so far